Anyone be able to give opinion on Richmond in Yorkshire

[PinkAlocia]

Name changed for this one but need to move from south to north and could possibly afford this area.

Richmond is lovely, my parents lived there for a few years and I absolutely loved visiting! It is expensive though, both house prices and just general living costs there in shops/cafe’s etc, there’s not loads going on and public transport not great. It depends what you’re looking for in a place to live.

Love the place me. Beautiful and peaceful

Local MP switching his focus to local issues imminently.

Its pretty and a nice village, but in a really remote area. I have spent a lot of time in Reeth nearby which is about 10 miles from there, and its nice scenery but I wouldn't want to live there. Really hard to get anywhere fast - the roads are narrow and winding. Its really exposed in winter. Too remote for me, but this may suit some people.

I've name changed just in case 😅

I lived in Richmond for about six years in my mid to late thirties while I was working Durham. I'm child-free. Before moving to Richmond I'd lived in London, then in Coventry, then in York, then in Harrogate. So, my response here is impacted by this wider context.

It's an absolutely beautifully stunning and peaceful place to live. There are some incredibly characterful properties in the town centre, and some lovely houses as you head out of town too. Compared to comparably lovely places in the south, properties are very cheap. But compared to other places around Darlington and County Durham, properties are expensive. I guess it depends on your budget and expectations.

I found there wasn't much going on in Richmond. While there was enough to do - a few community groups, some events in pubs, the leisure centre - it all felt a bit same-y. There wasn't anything fresh or new happening and I didn't feel particularly challenged or invigorated by the place. After three years I felt I was done with Richmond and, to be honest, quite eager to leave.

I met a lot of lovely people but there was a bit of a clique-y vibe to the place too and I never quite felt at home there. My DP used to say it was like Royston Vesey but I wouldn't go that far, it just didn't feel as friendly and welcoming as other place I've lived.
But I think a lot of that was impacted by me being in my 30s and child-free. I'd say Richmond was populated by a lot of retirees who'd lived there forever and young families who'd moved for a better life for their children. We didn't fit into either of these groups and, as I said, just didn't quite fit.

Edited to add (and prompted by another poster): Yes, it feels really incredibly remote which I think was compounded by the feeling I didn't quite fit in. Darlington is the nearest big-ish place and that's as grim as fuck.

Nice but remote….depends how close you need to be to good road and rail links ….bleak in winter

The transport links are fantastic for such a remote feeling town. The motorway is always accessible even in snow and you’re twenty minutes from the east coast main line. Much of North Yorkshire is a lot less accessible than that.

It's a beautiful spot. Personally I'd rather be somewhere with a train station as I hate relying on buses and driving. Northallerton is nice and better connected.

Ooh @MaxEye, how did you find Harrogate? It’s somewhere I think I would love to move to, but I’ve never actually been. It just seems so beautiful, and like it has lots going on, but I am also obviously at risk of romanticising it based on seeing it online!

Maybe its changed in last few years, but it used to have lots of soldiers on the evenings... every time I was near in the evening I was approached by one... maybe I attract them!

But lovely during the day. Large supermarket, swimming pool and cinema in Catterick too

As pp, lovely but remote.
If you have teenagers, they probably wouldn't thank you for moving there.

Lol, that was my first thought, too.

We visit semi regularly as not too far away, but have never lived there. I guess it would be interesting to understand your requirements and whether you have kids, age etc? It's a nice little market town and well situated if you are an outdoors lover and Swaledale is one of the quieter less visited Dales. However as mentioned above it doesn't have great transport links so you will drive everywhere, although it's not as remote as people are making out. It has a few amenities like the cinema and swimming pool as it's a bit of and some practical shops like Yorkshire Trading Co, Savers as well as the tourist offerings.

I don't know how familiar you are with the North Yorks area but other historic towns within an hour drive with good access to countryside (assuming that's what attracts you!) would be Yarm, Northallerton, Thirsk, Leyburn. Ripon, Knaresborough & Stokesley also worth exploring.

Too expensive, no room.
Oh wait, OP is another one with £750k looking to move up north for a quieter pace of life and humungous barn conversion 😂

I absolutely loved it. It really is beautiful but in a different way from Richmond. The town centre was absolutely lovely and a really nice mix of big, national chain stores and small independent shops too. The charity shops are to die for.

There was lots going on and this stuff never felt 'tired' like it did in Richmond.

Although the demographic of Harrogate is also 'older' - lots of retirees, it didn't feel as 'old' as Richmond did. I really hope that doesn't come across as ageist. I just found that Richmond had a bit of a nursing home vibe about it whereas Harrogate had a bit more oomph. I always found Richmond a bit claustrophobic.

I felt very welcome and at home in Harrogate in a way that I never quite did in Richmond. It's hard to explain but I found people in Harrogate more friendly and lively whereas Richmond just didn't have any kind of pizzazz about it at all.

Harrogate is also only about half hour from York and half hour Leeds so its easy to get out for the day.

I'd echo @Whatifthis - Ripon and Knaresbrough are my particular favourites because they have a nice 'town' type feel but they're a bit bigger than Richmond and not too cut-off.

I've only visited the town but it always seems a bit dull and straight laced. It's a massive Tory stronghold which puts me off 😄

@SingingSands Straight-laced is exactly the right word. Thank you. That's what I was trying to get at.

Pretty town, beautiful area. I've had many stays in the area. Personally I found it a bit countryside -Tory and retiree heavy. I didn't find people the friendliest and it can feel inward looking and cliquey. Just my impression though.

Richmond was where we had our residential in year 6. Prior House, I think it's been divided into flats.

There's caves, mines, I can't remember what for (lead I think) but it was ankle deep in water, and lots of moor like places for orienteering.

The dormitory we were in had writing on the window engraved in, but some child. Can't remember what it said though.

As are most of the market towns like Richmond in the NE eg Barnard Castle etc. Rural, middle class areas tend to be predominantly Tory.